Build a Chicken Coop - What Not to Do

Building a chicken coop is easy but there also precautions before you should start building one. In this case, you have to have some tips on what to do and what NOT to do in order to raise healthy chickens and have a fair supply of eggs in the future.

1. Design and layout

When you are keen in building your own coop, the first thing that you do is draw up your design and layout of the plan. However, if you are not a carpenter and are not familiar with planning and lay-outing, making your own design is somewhat risky because what you might make may not be what you had in mind. There are lots of people who have done their own designs but they ended up frustrated as a result.

So why don’t you buy yourself a pre-designed chicken coop that has been thoroughly studied by the experts?

Pre-designed coops do not actually cost much and on top of that, you can be sure that what you will work on is going to be fine.

2. Size of the coop

One of the failures in making your own design is that sometimes you make a coop that is too small for your chickens. This can be a contributing factor for diseases to spread and for chickens to be uncomfortable, and even hurt each other.

3. Ventilation

All animals need fresh air to stay healthy and although chickens can normally survive changing temperatures, they will need air circulating in their coop to make them strong. However, during the winter, it would be best if you could build a coop that has at least two windows facing opposite directions. During the summer, both of these windows can stay open. The first window would be facing south and will be closed to avoid cold draft while the other one would be facing north for air to enter. Also on summers, the air gets easily heated and in this case installing windows on the roof will allow air circulation and let the hot air come out.

For those who live in cold places, having a chicken coop that is draft-proof is necessary because chickens are sensitive to chilly and damp environment. They can catch cold easily and once they have it they can catch other diseases and make them sicker. Making a draft proof coop is easy and all you need is silicone to seal every crack and space where cold air could get in.

4. Lighting Lighting your coop with fluorescent that would keep the chicken warm especially during winter is a must. Don’t just put lights inside the coops that do not emit enough heat for chickens to use. Light that emits warm light are just appropriate for layers which can encourage the hens to lay more eggs.

5. Safety

Keeping our chickens safe from predators is one consideration we must not forget. Do not underestimate the animals lurking around your homes especially if you live near forested or grassland areas. Remember that they are smart and will do anything when they are hungry. They can dig the soil under the fence and have a feast on your chickens so try to install chicken wires with a minimum of one foot underground and connect the wire with the chicken run so that the fence will be more secured.

6. Cleanliness

In keeping a clean chicken coop, keep the ‘waterers’ and feeders off the floor because chickens have a habit of scratching the floor even though the food is already there. Do not ever put these items anywhere. When chickens scratch, droppings, water, and food get mixed and will make the floor dirty. A dirty floor can be a habitat for harmful bacteria and can attract pests as well. The best way is installing food and water platform a bit above the height of the chicken’s breast. Feeds would not be wasted and this will help make the floor stay clean. If you can maintain cleanliness inside your chicken coops rest assured that you will be raising healthy chickens and will enjoy their eggs more.

Click Here And Discover How To Easily Build An Attractive And Affordable Chicken Coop That Protects Your Chickens And Maintains Their Health